WOW! It's been a while hasn't it? After taking the summer off, we've been slow starting our Real Women studies back, but...we're back! And ready and open for God to do amazing things in our lives!
We have recently started our new series by one of my favorite speakers, Priscilla Shirer, called "He Speaks to Me." It is all about the life of Samuel and the goal is to learn how to hear the voice of God through the static of our everyday, busy lives.
Our first session introduced the idea that the first thing we learn about Samuel was that he was a child and how we should approach God as a child and not with our preconceived adult ideas.
This got me to thinking on an idea and I asked our ladies to think on something over the time between our meetings: In regards to your relationship with God, are you a baby, a toddler, a teenager or an adult?
Now this idea has nothing to do with how long you've known Christ, but rather what your attitude is toward God.
You see in session 1, Priscilla has us read Luke 18:16, where, after telling numerous parables to a crowd of people, Jesus then says "Permit the children to come to me and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." And when we see illustrated depictions of this passage, we see Christ surrounded by a pack of preschoolers.
However, if you get down to the Greek, those are not the "children' he was talking about. Rather, the Greek word used for "children" is actually better translated as "infant." A baby. A Newborn. Someone completely and totally dependent on the actions of another for their survival.
So, I ask you what I asked the girls Wednesday night: Are you a baby, a toddler, a teenager or an adult?
You might be sitting there wondering "What's the difference?!" To me, this is how I view the differences:
BABY-100% dependent on a source other than themselves for survival. A baby craves to be close to mommy or daddy so much that it makes them weep just to be away from them. They trust their care-giver to act in their best interest and more so, EXPECT their needs to be met.
TODDLER-They still love mommy and daddy, but occasionally desire to test out their own independence. They scream and throw a fit when something is taken from them, even if it's for their own good. But, they easily forget that anyway and move on to the next thing. They rush to mommy and daddy a little less everyday.
TEENAGER-Think they know everything! (right!?) There is a need to test their wings, but need to be reassured that mommy and daddy are waiting to catch them if they fall. There is a deep struggle with what's right and what's wrong.
ADULT-Have it all together. Only in drastic and dire circumstances do they express a need for help. They have lost the anticipation and sense of expectancy that kept them ever hopeful at the dawn of each new day.
So, which are you? We are all somewhere in one of those categories and during different seasons in our lives, we shift between all of them.
But if we take Christ at this word, He has called us all to be babies and as infants to come to him, so we should strive to spend as much time in the that first category as possible. And it even says that if we do...we will be rewarded with the Kingdom of God, which in this context no only means eternal life in heaven, but also a radical amazing, overflowing life in Christ, here on Earth.
Again I ask...which are you??
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Monday Morning Minute-May 23 . 2011
For today, I had this great devotional planned that I thought would change people's way of thinking.
However, in light of the events last night, I don't feel it would be appropriate.
For those of you who might be reading this and not know what I'm talking about, our area of the country was ravaged by at least 6 confirmed tornadoes within 3 hours. The worst of which seems to have been located in the town of Joplin, MO, where as of now there are 90 confirmed dead, scores more injured and homeless.
I personally have never lived there, but my parents did 4 years ago and, via text/email/phone calls, are trying to track down all of their friends who still live there.
In a time like this I feel the best thing I could write for a Monday Morning Minute would be a call to prayer. And not just a blanket "God be with them" prayer (which of course he still hears!), but a more focused set of prayers.
I feel we should focus on these areas:
1) Prayer for strength.
It can be so hard to find the strength to go, both physically and emotionally, during a time like this. But King David, at the end of his turmoil of war and conflict with Saul said this in 2 Samuel 22:29 & 30 "O Lord, you are my lamp. The Lord lights up my darkness. In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall."
For some this seems like a wall so high, they might never escape it. But David said (after his experience) that through the Lord he "can scale any wall."
Pray for strength to scale walls.
2) Prayer for guarding of hearts.
No one knows the reason for devastation such as this. There will come crazies out of the woodwork that will say all kinds of things about this being the wrath of God and other such nonsense. Just like after Katrina ravaged the Gulf, people said it was God's punishment on them (which of course in contradictory to the word because after Noah's flood, God said he would never destroy the world through water again...but that's a whole 'nother devotion!)
People will be grappling with the "whys" and the "why nots" for many months to come.
Pray for guarding of hearts, that they might know that, even through they might not have the answers to the "whys," they will not be swayed, but will keep an understanding of the "hows"-through God, they will get through this.
3) Prayer for miraculous encounters
This is a time that God could show himself in fantastic and new ways.
Pray for divine and life changing encounters that will bring eternal changes to people's life, in spite of the physical-world devastation.
4) Prayer for Peace.
For so many, just laying their heads down to sleep, will become a test of faith in and of itself. So many will constantly relive what they have been through and safety will become a foreign concept.
Be in prayer for them, to have peace after the storm.
Psalm 4:8 says "In peace I will lie down and sleep,for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe."
Pray this and share it with everyone....
God Bless and stay safe. :)
However, in light of the events last night, I don't feel it would be appropriate.
For those of you who might be reading this and not know what I'm talking about, our area of the country was ravaged by at least 6 confirmed tornadoes within 3 hours. The worst of which seems to have been located in the town of Joplin, MO, where as of now there are 90 confirmed dead, scores more injured and homeless.
I personally have never lived there, but my parents did 4 years ago and, via text/email/phone calls, are trying to track down all of their friends who still live there.
In a time like this I feel the best thing I could write for a Monday Morning Minute would be a call to prayer. And not just a blanket "God be with them" prayer (which of course he still hears!), but a more focused set of prayers.
I feel we should focus on these areas:
1) Prayer for strength.
It can be so hard to find the strength to go, both physically and emotionally, during a time like this. But King David, at the end of his turmoil of war and conflict with Saul said this in 2 Samuel 22:29 & 30 "O Lord, you are my lamp. The Lord lights up my darkness. In your strength I can crush an army; with my God I can scale any wall."
For some this seems like a wall so high, they might never escape it. But David said (after his experience) that through the Lord he "can scale any wall."
Pray for strength to scale walls.
2) Prayer for guarding of hearts.
No one knows the reason for devastation such as this. There will come crazies out of the woodwork that will say all kinds of things about this being the wrath of God and other such nonsense. Just like after Katrina ravaged the Gulf, people said it was God's punishment on them (which of course in contradictory to the word because after Noah's flood, God said he would never destroy the world through water again...but that's a whole 'nother devotion!)
People will be grappling with the "whys" and the "why nots" for many months to come.
Pray for guarding of hearts, that they might know that, even through they might not have the answers to the "whys," they will not be swayed, but will keep an understanding of the "hows"-through God, they will get through this.
3) Prayer for miraculous encounters
This is a time that God could show himself in fantastic and new ways.
Pray for divine and life changing encounters that will bring eternal changes to people's life, in spite of the physical-world devastation.
4) Prayer for Peace.
For so many, just laying their heads down to sleep, will become a test of faith in and of itself. So many will constantly relive what they have been through and safety will become a foreign concept.
Be in prayer for them, to have peace after the storm.
Psalm 4:8 says "In peace I will lie down and sleep,for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe."
Pray this and share it with everyone....
God Bless and stay safe. :)
Monday, May 16, 2011
Monday Morning Minute-May 16. 2011
This past week we have been meditating on scriptures on gentleness, the second to last fruit of the spirit.
And during this week, our Day 6 Scriptures is taken from Philippians 4:5 (in the NIV translation) and it says "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."
Great Scripture, right? Paul takes time during this prison epistles (or letter) to remind them of two very important things:
(1) Let your gentleness shine always. The New Living Translation says it this way "Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do."
In no way is Paul telling people to be door mats. Instead, he is telling them to tread lightly when talking to unbelievers. Not every unbeliever will respond to the "hell fire and brimstone" approach to the gospel! Some simply need to be taken by the hand and shown a loving God.
So often in scripture we see people referred to as "sheep" and some people (who for whatever reason have a hard heart to the gospel) use that scripture as a chance to take a stab a christianity and say "oh..they're all sheep... can't think for themselves." That's not at all what it's saying.
Sheep need gentleness. Get too loud or too rough and they run. And usually, they're running for a cliff and don't even realize it.
Know anyone who's running from the gospel?
(2) "The Lord is near."
We hear constantly lately about "the end of time." The famous astrologer/astronomer, Nostradamus and the ancient Mayan calendars both predict the end of the world to be in 2012 (Nostradamus specifically says December 21, 2012.)
The funny thing about it though is that the Mayan calendar was written over 5,00 years ago; Nostradamus made his predictions in the mid 1500s (which equals just over 500 years ago); while Paul pens "The Lord is near" in 61 A.D.
SSSooo...who's right?
Well, if we use scripture to interpret scripture and take a look in Acts 1, we see the apostles ask the resurrected Christ when he will be coming back "to free Israel and restore our kingdom." Christ's response: "The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know."
What does this tell us? Since no one on this earth is or was God (aside from Christ), no one truly knows when it will all end. So why should we waste energy worry about something scriptures tells us we will never know the answer to until the trumpets sound?
Instead, we should focus on the the first part of that scripture...let our gentleness show to all around us, being considerate of what it will take to bring each type of personality to a saving knowledge of Christ.
That is a good use of your energy. :)
And during this week, our Day 6 Scriptures is taken from Philippians 4:5 (in the NIV translation) and it says "Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near."
Great Scripture, right? Paul takes time during this prison epistles (or letter) to remind them of two very important things:
(1) Let your gentleness shine always. The New Living Translation says it this way "Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do."
In no way is Paul telling people to be door mats. Instead, he is telling them to tread lightly when talking to unbelievers. Not every unbeliever will respond to the "hell fire and brimstone" approach to the gospel! Some simply need to be taken by the hand and shown a loving God.
So often in scripture we see people referred to as "sheep" and some people (who for whatever reason have a hard heart to the gospel) use that scripture as a chance to take a stab a christianity and say "oh..they're all sheep... can't think for themselves." That's not at all what it's saying.
Sheep need gentleness. Get too loud or too rough and they run. And usually, they're running for a cliff and don't even realize it.
Know anyone who's running from the gospel?
(2) "The Lord is near."
We hear constantly lately about "the end of time." The famous astrologer/astronomer, Nostradamus and the ancient Mayan calendars both predict the end of the world to be in 2012 (Nostradamus specifically says December 21, 2012.)
The funny thing about it though is that the Mayan calendar was written over 5,00 years ago; Nostradamus made his predictions in the mid 1500s (which equals just over 500 years ago); while Paul pens "The Lord is near" in 61 A.D.
SSSooo...who's right?
Well, if we use scripture to interpret scripture and take a look in Acts 1, we see the apostles ask the resurrected Christ when he will be coming back "to free Israel and restore our kingdom." Christ's response: "The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know."
What does this tell us? Since no one on this earth is or was God (aside from Christ), no one truly knows when it will all end. So why should we waste energy worry about something scriptures tells us we will never know the answer to until the trumpets sound?
Instead, we should focus on the the first part of that scripture...let our gentleness show to all around us, being considerate of what it will take to bring each type of personality to a saving knowledge of Christ.
That is a good use of your energy. :)
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Monday Morning Minute-May 9, 2011
We are into our 8th week of our study on the fruits of spirit and are slowly drawing to a close. Even though we still have one more week, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for taking this journey with me. I pray you have grown through these weeks of meditating on God's word and filling your "spiritual basket" to overflowing.
Now...on to week 8: FAITHFULNESS.
On day one of this week we started with a scripture in 2 Chronicles. In chapter 19, Jehoshephat (also known as Jehosephat) had decided to send priests and leaders to be judges in his sted to various parts of the national Israel and as he sent them forth he gave them these instructions is verse 9:
"You must always act in the fear of the Lord, with faithfulness and an undivided heart."
When I was pondering this scripture this week, I kept coming back the idea of "faithfulness" within the context of marriage. No husband or wife can make good decisions and be faithful to their spouse if their heart is divided.
The same went for the judges of Israel and still holds true for us today. We can not be faithful to Christ if our hearts are divided. Matthew and Luke both state that no one can serve two masters.Yes...they were talking about God vs. money, but money can be replaced with career or hobby or sometimes even family, if we choose to use our family as an excuse not to spend time with God.
If God's command to his first leaders was about the faithfulness of the heart, how can we believe we are called to any less?
Psalm 119:89 & 91 even say "Your eternal word, O Lord, stands firm in heaven." and "Your regulations remain true to this day for everything serves your plan", respectively.
And sandwiched in the middle of those verses is that word again-faithfulness.But, this time it is not a reminder to us to be faithful. Instead, it is a reminder of his faithfulness to every generation (vs 90.)
Think about that....His faithfulness extends to every generation. The fact that it extends to every generation is the very definition of faithfulness. Being faithful means to be steady and constant.
So why, in our times of need, is it so easy to forget that constant means constant. You are not an exception to his rule of faithfulness!
Your situation is not new to him and neither is your sin.
Proverbs 16:6 says "Unfailing Love and faithfulness make atonement for sin. By fearing the Lord, people avoid sin."
It's his faithfulness to keep his promise of the cross is our cure for sin. And to take it one step farther we're told that even though the price was paid for our sin, if we choose to have a (healthy) fear of the Lord, it would help us to avoid sin altogether.
Sometime in the course of history, I'm sure God has thrown up his hands and wanted to it quits but Jesus, seated at his right hand, has talked him back from the ledge and reminded him of his promise to be faithful and forgive our sins.
OK...maybe not. But you get the idea? It's through his constant faithfulness and unfailing love that we can continually mess up and still attain heaven and live a privileged life on this earth as God's children while on earth.
And it's a message that too many times, even thousands of years ago, fell by the wayside in history of the children of Israel. they would turn to idols and false gods every few generations. Why?
Because one generation did not tell the next generation about the faithfulness of God and is doing so, condemned the younger generation to wonder in a spiritual desert, complete with mirages of righteousness. Since they were not instructed in rights/wrongs, they believed what they were doing was right!
That's why Isaiah 38:19a admonishes "The father to the children shall make known they truth (or faithfulness."
How else will they know if they don't learn it from us?
If we don't, we run the risk of becoming like the children of Israel in Hosea 4:1a, 3. The prophet Hosea, through the prompting of the Holy Spirit said, "There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land, ....that is why your land is in mourning and everyone is wasting away. Even the wild animals, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea are disappearing."
Not only would future generations suffer, but the word says that even the very earth will begin to mourn the lose of the knowledge of Christ from among his people.
Look at America now...We've lost so many our fundamental truths that this country was founded on and we are slowly watching a nation that was once "once nation under God" turn into a land of mourning because there is no knowledge and our land is wasting away because of it.
God's faithfulness is constant and applicable to all generations for the continual atonement for our sins, but if we choose not to tell them, we are sentencing them and all future generations to a future of a dying land.
What can we do to remember God's faithfulness? (These might, of course, be obvious, but it never hurts to be reminded of what we SHOULD be doing or what we COULD be doing better.)
1) Keep a faithfulness journal. Having your own personal experiences or experiences of those close to you to look back on can buoy your faith during seasons of uncertainty.
2) Talk about God's faithfulness. To your kids. To your friends. To unsaved friends. Whoever will listen! Much like journeling, keeping stories of God's faithfulness on the tip of your tongue keeps them in the front of your mind and not pushed back to places of shadow. Doing so will make it harder for Satan to push a wedge between you and God during those hard times.
3) Continually be in the word! Next to your own personal experiences, reading first hand accounts of his faithfulness and how it has not changed in all these years since the words of the Bible were penned is an amazing experiences. His love for Adama & Eve, Moses, Hosea, James, Luke, Paul, Rehab, David, Timothy and every other person in the bible (named or unnamed) is the same love he holds for you and obvious faithfulness in the pages of scripture are promises to you and not just mere stories.
Now...on to week 8: FAITHFULNESS.
On day one of this week we started with a scripture in 2 Chronicles. In chapter 19, Jehoshephat (also known as Jehosephat) had decided to send priests and leaders to be judges in his sted to various parts of the national Israel and as he sent them forth he gave them these instructions is verse 9:
"You must always act in the fear of the Lord, with faithfulness and an undivided heart."
When I was pondering this scripture this week, I kept coming back the idea of "faithfulness" within the context of marriage. No husband or wife can make good decisions and be faithful to their spouse if their heart is divided.
The same went for the judges of Israel and still holds true for us today. We can not be faithful to Christ if our hearts are divided. Matthew and Luke both state that no one can serve two masters.Yes...they were talking about God vs. money, but money can be replaced with career or hobby or sometimes even family, if we choose to use our family as an excuse not to spend time with God.
If God's command to his first leaders was about the faithfulness of the heart, how can we believe we are called to any less?
Psalm 119:89 & 91 even say "Your eternal word, O Lord, stands firm in heaven." and "Your regulations remain true to this day for everything serves your plan", respectively.
And sandwiched in the middle of those verses is that word again-faithfulness.But, this time it is not a reminder to us to be faithful. Instead, it is a reminder of his faithfulness to every generation (vs 90.)
Think about that....His faithfulness extends to every generation. The fact that it extends to every generation is the very definition of faithfulness. Being faithful means to be steady and constant.
So why, in our times of need, is it so easy to forget that constant means constant. You are not an exception to his rule of faithfulness!
Your situation is not new to him and neither is your sin.
Proverbs 16:6 says "Unfailing Love and faithfulness make atonement for sin. By fearing the Lord, people avoid sin."
It's his faithfulness to keep his promise of the cross is our cure for sin. And to take it one step farther we're told that even though the price was paid for our sin, if we choose to have a (healthy) fear of the Lord, it would help us to avoid sin altogether.
Sometime in the course of history, I'm sure God has thrown up his hands and wanted to it quits but Jesus, seated at his right hand, has talked him back from the ledge and reminded him of his promise to be faithful and forgive our sins.
OK...maybe not. But you get the idea? It's through his constant faithfulness and unfailing love that we can continually mess up and still attain heaven and live a privileged life on this earth as God's children while on earth.
And it's a message that too many times, even thousands of years ago, fell by the wayside in history of the children of Israel. they would turn to idols and false gods every few generations. Why?
Because one generation did not tell the next generation about the faithfulness of God and is doing so, condemned the younger generation to wonder in a spiritual desert, complete with mirages of righteousness. Since they were not instructed in rights/wrongs, they believed what they were doing was right!
That's why Isaiah 38:19a admonishes "The father to the children shall make known they truth (or faithfulness."
How else will they know if they don't learn it from us?
If we don't, we run the risk of becoming like the children of Israel in Hosea 4:1a, 3. The prophet Hosea, through the prompting of the Holy Spirit said, "There is no faithfulness, no kindness, no knowledge of God in your land, ....that is why your land is in mourning and everyone is wasting away. Even the wild animals, the birds of the sky, and the fish of the sea are disappearing."
Not only would future generations suffer, but the word says that even the very earth will begin to mourn the lose of the knowledge of Christ from among his people.
Look at America now...We've lost so many our fundamental truths that this country was founded on and we are slowly watching a nation that was once "once nation under God" turn into a land of mourning because there is no knowledge and our land is wasting away because of it.
God's faithfulness is constant and applicable to all generations for the continual atonement for our sins, but if we choose not to tell them, we are sentencing them and all future generations to a future of a dying land.
What can we do to remember God's faithfulness? (These might, of course, be obvious, but it never hurts to be reminded of what we SHOULD be doing or what we COULD be doing better.)
1) Keep a faithfulness journal. Having your own personal experiences or experiences of those close to you to look back on can buoy your faith during seasons of uncertainty.
2) Talk about God's faithfulness. To your kids. To your friends. To unsaved friends. Whoever will listen! Much like journeling, keeping stories of God's faithfulness on the tip of your tongue keeps them in the front of your mind and not pushed back to places of shadow. Doing so will make it harder for Satan to push a wedge between you and God during those hard times.
3) Continually be in the word! Next to your own personal experiences, reading first hand accounts of his faithfulness and how it has not changed in all these years since the words of the Bible were penned is an amazing experiences. His love for Adama & Eve, Moses, Hosea, James, Luke, Paul, Rehab, David, Timothy and every other person in the bible (named or unnamed) is the same love he holds for you and obvious faithfulness in the pages of scripture are promises to you and not just mere stories.
Monday, April 25, 2011
What does God's Goodness mean to our lives? (Real Women Bible Study-Week 7)
As we read scriptures and think on the goodness of God,
do you find it hard to figure out just how that applies to your everyday life?
do you find it hard to figure out just how that applies to your everyday life?
Here are some ways for us to look at the goodness of God in our own lives:
1) The goodness of God is a character trait that applies to all other attributes.
God’s holiness is good. God’s wrath is good. God’s righteousness is good. He only desires good things for his children. All things work for his good.
We think of stories like Joseph and how evil it was for his brothers to sell him into slavery, but God brought it to good.
Rahab the harlot was living a life of sin, but God used her to save the two spies.
The goodness to God is an all encompassing part of his character and out of that goodness flows things like gifting and talents and just the innate desire to see his children flourish and be happy.
That being said…
2) Too many people think God is a genie and the minute you are saved, everything will be perfect. This is not the case.
Yes...God wants good for his children, but the road to good is not always instant or fun.
Romans 8:28 says: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”So many people try to ignore that last part: “are called according to his purpose for them.” (bold added)
There are too many “prosperity” messages out there that say God will bless you with earthly provision as a sign of his love and when those promises doled out by man aren’t fulfilled, people usually make the decision that either God doesn’t care or that their experience of salvation wasn’t real.
The same goes for healing. I was reading a story of a Christian professor who asked his students to pray. His wife was going into have some tests and all signs and symptoms so far pointed to cancer. When the reports came back that the issue was malignant, the class of course rejoiced and many said “God is Good!” The professor had to stop them and correct something. He said “yes..God is good, but if the test results had come out differently…God would have still been good.”
Which leads us to:
3) God’s goodness is not conditional.
Much like salvation, you can’t work to receive God’s goodness. It is an ingrained part of his god-hood that is yours from the moment of salvation. And also...the reverse is true. Making a mistake does not remove you from the outpouring of his goodness.4) The greatest evidence of God’s goodness lies in the Gospel message.
There’s a reason it’s called the “good news!” For no other reason than God did not want tobe separated from his children, he chose to sacrifice his son for our GOOD. Again, there is that showing of how God turns things that from the outside we see as bad into something good.
One of our verses this week was Psalm 116:12-13: “What shall I return to the Lord for
all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord.” Salvation should be an automatic response once you catch hold of the goodness of God.
5) Viewing the world and God through a vision of “goodness,” can greatly change
our perspective.
There are so many times in our lives that it’s hard to see the goodness among the junk. It’s like an antique store. Something inside you tells you there is a treasure somewhere in amongst all the dust-laden pieces of broken junk. You just have to take the time to dig for it.our perspective.
The opposite can also be true. Choosing not to view things through the vision of God’s goodness can greatly impact our choices in the negative.
Take Eve in the Garden of Eden. The minute she chose to let the serpent plant the seeds
of doubt that God was not acting in their best interest by telling them not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, that is when it became easier for her to disobey God and eat the fruit.
It is necessary to always view God’s commands, both those things allowed and disallowed through the filter of God’s goodness.
My church from long ago used to yell this out occassionally: The Pastor would yell "God is Good!" The church would yell back "All the time." Pastor "And all the time?" Congregation "God is Good!!"
The goodness of God is all vital part of your relationship with Christ. Take time to view the goodness he has already bestowed up you and to think about the amazing things he holds for your furture.
NOTE: I borrowed some of these ideas from this great article. If you want to know more about the goodness of God, check it out: http://bible.org/seriespage/goodness-god
Monday Morning Minute-April 25, 2011
The season of bunnies, jelly beans, and colorful plastic eggs is over. How much candy did you eat? :)
This past weekend I had the luxury of having all of Saturday to myself (if you're a mom, you understand why it's a luxury!) And it was on the day, tucked between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, that I pondered this idea most of the day: on this day 2,000 years ago, Jesus' mother, Mary, would have been mourning the death of her son.
Did you stop to thing about that on Saturday? If I were her, I would have been an emotional basket-case by this point. It is stated in three of the four gospels that she was there at the foot of the cross until Jesus passed (Luke stated simply that there were "women who followed Jesus watching from a distance.) In fact, in John, Jesus talks to her from his position on the cross and in the midst of all his pain in order to secure John as her benefactor.
Since I have never lost a child, I cannot even begin to imagine the depth of pain she was going through. However, I'm sure that in those moments of her deepest despair she questions God and His plan in all this, just as Christ did. The continuous question of "WHY?" would have plagued my mind over and over.
But...we have an advantage on Mary. We know the end of the story.
We know that on the third day he rose from the dead after spending three days battling death, hell and the grave so that our sins might be forgiven and we might have eternal life.
Can you imagine the joy she felt when the other Marys came pounding on the door that Sunday morning and relaying the story of the unconscious guards, the empty tomb and the angel?!?! There would have been a fresh flood of tears, but these would be of joy and not sorrow.
What about you? Is there a situation in your life that you are mourning? Could it be a relationship that seems dead or a wayward child? Are you mourning the loss of your health or the loss of financial stability?
You may be spending years in mourning, where Mary only had a few days of it, but her joy on the third day can be your joy.
Reconciliation and peace can and will be yours; just don't lose sight of the end of the story: Jesus wins. And with Christ, so can you.
This past weekend I had the luxury of having all of Saturday to myself (if you're a mom, you understand why it's a luxury!) And it was on the day, tucked between Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday, that I pondered this idea most of the day: on this day 2,000 years ago, Jesus' mother, Mary, would have been mourning the death of her son.
Did you stop to thing about that on Saturday? If I were her, I would have been an emotional basket-case by this point. It is stated in three of the four gospels that she was there at the foot of the cross until Jesus passed (Luke stated simply that there were "women who followed Jesus watching from a distance.) In fact, in John, Jesus talks to her from his position on the cross and in the midst of all his pain in order to secure John as her benefactor.
Since I have never lost a child, I cannot even begin to imagine the depth of pain she was going through. However, I'm sure that in those moments of her deepest despair she questions God and His plan in all this, just as Christ did. The continuous question of "WHY?" would have plagued my mind over and over.
But...we have an advantage on Mary. We know the end of the story.
We know that on the third day he rose from the dead after spending three days battling death, hell and the grave so that our sins might be forgiven and we might have eternal life.
Can you imagine the joy she felt when the other Marys came pounding on the door that Sunday morning and relaying the story of the unconscious guards, the empty tomb and the angel?!?! There would have been a fresh flood of tears, but these would be of joy and not sorrow.
What about you? Is there a situation in your life that you are mourning? Could it be a relationship that seems dead or a wayward child? Are you mourning the loss of your health or the loss of financial stability?
You may be spending years in mourning, where Mary only had a few days of it, but her joy on the third day can be your joy.
Reconciliation and peace can and will be yours; just don't lose sight of the end of the story: Jesus wins. And with Christ, so can you.
Monday, April 18, 2011
Monday Morning Minute-April 18, 2011
I have a friend who, each day, sends out a mass text with a scripture for the day. Today's scripture was Colossians 3:12-14 and as I was reading the scripture in context (something we all should do!) I was pulled into reading all of Colossians 3:1-17, which in the New Living Translation is titled "Living the New Life." And one verse in particular stuck our to me today.
"In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us." Colossians 3:11
"Christ is all that matters...." Do you believe that? Is that the way you live your life?
I know the Bible gives us rules for living our life and somethings are translated or interpreted different by different people, but if we are honest with ourselves, we have to realize that no one on this earth has all of the answers. Our God is too big and vast to every fully understand everything he has for us and everything he has called us to do.
Yes...we all have differences, but according to Colossians 3:11, "Christ is all that matters."
I had a conversation recently with my sister that I can't help but feel illustrates this point so clearly. She works in a secular job and for a while was having a hard time reconciling parts of her belief with these new friendships she has forged with these great people.
And while they might have what some of us see as "sins" in their lives, she has come to realize that it is not her job to judge them for what they are doing "wrong" (or do the opposite and justify it with "we all have sins.") It is simply her job to show them Christ in a tangible form on a daily basis.
It's how we should live our life very day. Not judging someone on their "barbaric" tattoos. Or come down on them for being "slaves" to their sin. Or thinking "my religion interprets scripture better than your religion does." Or whatever else creates a wall between yourself and other followers of Christ.
"Christ is all that matters." Try living your life today with that mindset.
"In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us." Colossians 3:11
"Christ is all that matters...." Do you believe that? Is that the way you live your life?
I know the Bible gives us rules for living our life and somethings are translated or interpreted different by different people, but if we are honest with ourselves, we have to realize that no one on this earth has all of the answers. Our God is too big and vast to every fully understand everything he has for us and everything he has called us to do.
Yes...we all have differences, but according to Colossians 3:11, "Christ is all that matters."
I had a conversation recently with my sister that I can't help but feel illustrates this point so clearly. She works in a secular job and for a while was having a hard time reconciling parts of her belief with these new friendships she has forged with these great people.
And while they might have what some of us see as "sins" in their lives, she has come to realize that it is not her job to judge them for what they are doing "wrong" (or do the opposite and justify it with "we all have sins.") It is simply her job to show them Christ in a tangible form on a daily basis.
It's how we should live our life very day. Not judging someone on their "barbaric" tattoos. Or come down on them for being "slaves" to their sin. Or thinking "my religion interprets scripture better than your religion does." Or whatever else creates a wall between yourself and other followers of Christ.
"Christ is all that matters." Try living your life today with that mindset.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Monday Morning Minute, April 11, 2011
Putting the Puzzle Together
Think about high school or junior high. I don’t know about you but during those years, I lived through what felt like a constant showing of “One Life To Live” JR. There were constant verbal chick fights and volleys of “he said, she said.” Even thinking about it now is EXHAUSTING!
There were the girls that I so desperately wanted to be friends with and for whatever reason, we just never clicked. And even now, ssoo many years later, I still feel like I am that struggling teenager, just trying to make friends. There are girls that I see often and I try my best to be friends with them, but we never seem to “click.” Know what I mean? Ever feel that way?
But today, while I was sitting in service, Pastor Benny (our lead pastor!) said something that really got me to thinking. He was talking on the subject of prayer and he said that we all should prayerfully consider who we take into being our closest friends because God has not called everyone to be within our inner circle.
HHHMMM….ever thought about that? Yes…we are called to be friendly with everyone, but not everyone is meant to be the one you run to when your world is falling apart.
Think about a puzzle. A thousand piece puzzle can be put together to make a beautiful whole, but not every piece is meant to interlock with each other. Some pieces are meant to join together to form the sky. Some are meant to form the ground, others this part or that part.
The whole picture is beautiful, because it is made of so many small parts that are CREATED to fit together, just like your life is beautiful because God has chosen a certain group of people that are meant to fit perfectly into it and make it more beautiful.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Bible Study Week 5: Patience!
Hello All! Have you been patiently waiting? Between sickness in my home and sickness all around, we took a break from our Bible Study. BUT...we're back!
I hope you enjoy this week's lesson. It means a lot to me and (unfortunately!) I have to think of this often when when I get impatient. :)
I hope you enjoy this week's lesson. It means a lot to me and (unfortunately!) I have to think of this often when when I get impatient. :)
Week 5
Patience
Patience…what
can we say about patience? We all want it. We all pray for it. And usually, God
makes us wait for it. That is annoying, isn’t it!? We want it. We need it. And
we are doing our best to patiently wait for our spiritual endowment of other
worldly patience, so that we might have the patience of Mother Teresa and
Michelle Dugger all rolled into one. And
so many times we think that God is not hearing us or he is ignoring us or has
better things to do, but did you ever stop to think that the teaching in the
waiting?
can we say about patience? We all want it. We all pray for it. And usually, God
makes us wait for it. That is annoying, isn’t it!? We want it. We need it. And
we are doing our best to patiently wait for our spiritual endowment of other
worldly patience, so that we might have the patience of Mother Teresa and
Michelle Dugger all rolled into one. And
so many times we think that God is not hearing us or he is ignoring us or has
better things to do, but did you ever stop to think that the teaching in the
waiting?
When I first started working at a
bank in Springfield, I had only been married about a year and half, and as so
many young married women, I had struggles adapting to the addition of a mother
in law to my life. I am an independent women and I can go it all myself.
bank in Springfield, I had only been married about a year and half, and as so
many young married women, I had struggles adapting to the addition of a mother
in law to my life. I am an independent women and I can go it all myself.
One day, I was training in a new area
and for whatever reason, I started to vent to this lady who was training me
about some of the stresses I was having in that situation. When I was done, she
proceeded to tell me that she had this perfect story for me that someone had
emailed her.
and for whatever reason, I started to vent to this lady who was training me
about some of the stresses I was having in that situation. When I was done, she
proceeded to tell me that she had this perfect story for me that someone had
emailed her.
This is what she sent me:
Long ago, there was a young woman who
had recently married and in her culture, once married, the mother in law, if
she was widowed, would come to live with the oldest son and his wife.
had recently married and in her culture, once married, the mother in law, if
she was widowed, would come to live with the oldest son and his wife.
Now the young women had been well
trained by her mother to run a household, but it was not the way that the
mother in law had done things for the many years , so this lead to many arguments between the two.
trained by her mother to run a household, but it was not the way that the
mother in law had done things for the many years , so this lead to many arguments between the two.
Finally, the daughter in law could no
longer take it and went to a local medicine woman and asked for something to
help her with her problem. The medicine women gave the girl a special tea that
when made in small quantities, would gradually weaken the mother in law until
she was dead. But, the medicine woman warned the girl to make sure that she provided
her mother in law with extra attention and kindness until she passed so that no
one would suspect her of foul play.
longer take it and went to a local medicine woman and asked for something to
help her with her problem. The medicine women gave the girl a special tea that
when made in small quantities, would gradually weaken the mother in law until
she was dead. But, the medicine woman warned the girl to make sure that she provided
her mother in law with extra attention and kindness until she passed so that no
one would suspect her of foul play.
So starting that day, the girl would
have afternoon tea with her mother in law, each having their own tea which the
girl prepared. And each day, the girl would lavish more and more attention on
her mother in law. She would take her advice. She would accept her criticism.
She would do things specifically to make her mother in law happy.
have afternoon tea with her mother in law, each having their own tea which the
girl prepared. And each day, the girl would lavish more and more attention on
her mother in law. She would take her advice. She would accept her criticism.
She would do things specifically to make her mother in law happy.
Months past, and the mother in law
seemed as healthy and alive as ever and the daughter in law wondered if she was
doing something wrong, so she went back to visit the medicine woman. After
explaining to the medicine woman that she didn’t see any changes in her mother
in law, the medicine women explained once again that the tea was slow acting
and the girl needed continue what she was doing. So she returned home and
continued with the ritual of afternoon tea and her treatment of her mother in
law.
seemed as healthy and alive as ever and the daughter in law wondered if she was
doing something wrong, so she went back to visit the medicine woman. After
explaining to the medicine woman that she didn’t see any changes in her mother
in law, the medicine women explained once again that the tea was slow acting
and the girl needed continue what she was doing. So she returned home and
continued with the ritual of afternoon tea and her treatment of her mother in
law.
This continued for many years and
each day, as the girl began to spend more time with her mother in law, slowly
the feelings of resentment and hurt began to fall away. Until one day, her mother
in law fell ill and as the girl was by her bedside, she realized that she truly
loved her mother in law and feared that she truly had killed her.
each day, as the girl began to spend more time with her mother in law, slowly
the feelings of resentment and hurt began to fall away. Until one day, her mother
in law fell ill and as the girl was by her bedside, she realized that she truly
loved her mother in law and feared that she truly had killed her.
The girl rushed to the medicine woman
and fell sobbing at her feet, begging for the antidote to heal her mother in
law.
and fell sobbing at her feet, begging for the antidote to heal her mother in
law.
It was then that the medicine woman told
the girl the truth. The tea she had been giving the girl all these years was
not poisonous. Rather it was just a plain, herbal tea that had no real
benefits, good or bad.
the girl the truth. The tea she had been giving the girl all these years was
not poisonous. Rather it was just a plain, herbal tea that had no real
benefits, good or bad.
The girl was shocked and didn’t
understand why the woman had lied to her all these years. The woman told her
that the answer was very simple. Back when the girl was younger, she wanted things
to be perfect instantly and in her young nature wasn’t willing to be patient
and wait as her relationship with her mother in law developed. Instead, the
medicine woman had given the girl a chance to be patient and the girl now
benefited from a loving relationship with her mother in law.
understand why the woman had lied to her all these years. The woman told her
that the answer was very simple. Back when the girl was younger, she wanted things
to be perfect instantly and in her young nature wasn’t willing to be patient
and wait as her relationship with her mother in law developed. Instead, the
medicine woman had given the girl a chance to be patient and the girl now
benefited from a loving relationship with her mother in law.
The moral of the story?
Good things don’t come instantly.
Good things come to those who not only
patiently wait, but choose to wait with a good attitude.
patiently wait, but choose to wait with a good attitude.
And sadly enough, patience, although
it can be, is rarely a spiritual endowment. It is a choice.
it can be, is rarely a spiritual endowment. It is a choice.
Now of course, the girl in the story
was tricked into having a good attitude, but it didn’t change the outcome. She
was blessed with the love of a person whose relationship she had wanted to
abandon from the very beginning.
was tricked into having a good attitude, but it didn’t change the outcome. She
was blessed with the love of a person whose relationship she had wanted to
abandon from the very beginning.
What about us?
How many things have we abandoned
because the talent didn’t come instant? Or the relationship was too hard, so we
cut ties?
because the talent didn’t come instant? Or the relationship was too hard, so we
cut ties?
There are so many situations that
require more patience than we can seemingly muster in one day. But try this. Make
a chose to choose one situation in your life and be like the girl in the story.
Be kind beyond reproach and despite what the person might say or be positive
about a situation no matter what twists and turns that situation might take.
Make the choice and see how God will honor your patience.
require more patience than we can seemingly muster in one day. But try this. Make
a chose to choose one situation in your life and be like the girl in the story.
Be kind beyond reproach and despite what the person might say or be positive
about a situation no matter what twists and turns that situation might take.
Make the choice and see how God will honor your patience.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Monday Morning Minute-March 21, 2011
Sickness has plagued my house, but ALAS! Meds have been taken and there is a light at the end of this tunnel! J
For those of you who look forward to our Monday Morning Minutes, I offer my sincere apologies for letting you down last week. I hope this week makes up for it!
Over the previous week, we have been meditating on scriptures about patience and on day 3 we came to a rather lengthy passage. It said:
For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light.
Colossians 1:9-12
We know that we are called to spend daily time in the word and in prayer, but according to this passage in Colossians, those times of prayer should not just about ourselves.
Paul, the writer of this letter, writes that he and his friend Timothy have prayed CONTINUALLY and then goes on to list the eight things that they have prayed for. That the people of Colosse will:
1) 1) Be filled with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding
2) 2) Be living a worthy life
3) 3) Be pleasing him in everyway
4) 4) Be bearing fruit in good works
5) 5) Be growing in knowledge
6) 6) Be strengthened with all power
7) 7) Have endurance with patience
8) 8) Be joyful in giving thanks
That is a long list!! And what disservice I am doing to my friends and family and my God when I choose to not lift up in my daily prayers.
And I don’t mean that to be a heaping pile of guilt, but rather, for me, it has been an eye-opener of all the things we have to offer in friendship-more than maybe we even thought we had-just because we choose to remember our friends in prayer.
So what now? I know we are all busy and in the course of our daily lives, we tell people “I’ll pray for you” and then forget until the next time we see them.
Next time that happens…the next time someone either specifically asks for prayer or the Holy Spirit drops a name in to your heart, try this: Put that person’s name at the place you see the most. If you work on a computer, put a sticky note on the side of your monitor. Tied to your Blackberry? Set an alarm with their name to go off a few times a day. Addicted to your facebook? Change your profile picture to a picture of the two of you or to a picture that always reminds you of that person.
Whatever it is…DO IT! And see the difference, not only that it makes in the lives of others, but in your life as well.
(Look for this week's Bible Study notes and scriptures coming soon!)
Monday, March 7, 2011
Real Women Bible Study-Week4-Peace Please!!
Good Morning All!
I hope this weekend has allowed you a little R & R and that this week ahead doesn't look too frightening!
For the last two weeks, we have been pondering scriptures on joy and peace. And one of the greatest stealers of both, I think, is discontentment. Having that feeling that you want more or deserve more or that envious feeling that someone has what you want or deserve.
So, tonight, we will finish watching a great sermon by Joyce Meyer called "Consistently Content."
Last week, she began Pt 1 with a line that I absolutely love. She said: There are millions of people in the world who have what you say you want and they are still not happy either.
Now, that's not to say that we should not strive for more in our life or strive to achieve things, but backing that need for more should be the certainly that God is behind your en devours or else the en devour will be fruitless anyway and will leave us with that sense of discontentment.
The link for Part 2 of "Consistently Content" is on Week 3's post (the second link.) Please watch it if you can't join us tonight at 6:45-8:00 at my house.
And how appropriate that our next fruit of the spirit is: long suffering or patience! Choosing to be content in our lives and to find peace and joy in our daily walk will sometimes take GREAT patience!
Enjoy this week and look for your week of scriptures on PATIENCE tomorrow.
God Bless.
I hope this weekend has allowed you a little R & R and that this week ahead doesn't look too frightening!
For the last two weeks, we have been pondering scriptures on joy and peace. And one of the greatest stealers of both, I think, is discontentment. Having that feeling that you want more or deserve more or that envious feeling that someone has what you want or deserve.
So, tonight, we will finish watching a great sermon by Joyce Meyer called "Consistently Content."
Last week, she began Pt 1 with a line that I absolutely love. She said: There are millions of people in the world who have what you say you want and they are still not happy either.
Now, that's not to say that we should not strive for more in our life or strive to achieve things, but backing that need for more should be the certainly that God is behind your en devours or else the en devour will be fruitless anyway and will leave us with that sense of discontentment.
The link for Part 2 of "Consistently Content" is on Week 3's post (the second link.) Please watch it if you can't join us tonight at 6:45-8:00 at my house.
And how appropriate that our next fruit of the spirit is: long suffering or patience! Choosing to be content in our lives and to find peace and joy in our daily walk will sometimes take GREAT patience!
Enjoy this week and look for your week of scriptures on PATIENCE tomorrow.
God Bless.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Real Women Bible Study-Week 3-Talk about Joy!
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Real Women Bible Study-Week 2
LOVE
As we all have had the opportunity to celebrate Valentine’s Day with our loved ones, I hope you all enjoyed being mulling over our scriptures on love.
Let’s take a minute to review our scriptures from last week.
Would anyone like to share?
YOU HAVE TO BE THE “TO” BEFORE YOU GET THE “THROUGH”
If you noticed over the week, there were two groups of scriptures. Days 1-4 were all about God’s love TO us, while Days 5-7 were about God’s love THROUGH us to others. And I think that is a very vital order to realize. There is that old saying that was used in a book I read recently that said “You can’t give what you don’t have.” You can’t truly give love to others, unless you already possess that love.
It’s like when I used to work at Sam’s club and people would come in and be irate that we stopped selling their Ol’ Roy Dog food or their Sam’s Choice soda because “they just bought it here last week.” Each time I would have to talk them down from the proverbial ledge and break it to them that they had never bought those products at Sam’s Club because they were only sold at Wal*Mart stores. Some would sheepishly admit that “Oh yea you’re right”, while others would argue with me for a while before giving me the answer “well…since they’re the same company, you should have it to.” And all I could do was shrug my shoulders and apologize because….
I COULDN’T GIVE THEM WHAT I DIDN’T HAVE! There is no way I could magically reach into the pocket of my blue vest and like a rabbit out of a hat, produce for them a 6-pack of Diet Caffeine Free Sam’s Choice Cola or a 20 pound bag of Ol’ Roy Dog food for overweight dogs.
And it’s really the same way with the act/emotion/feeling, whatever you choose to call it, of love. Yes, you can be loving to others, but until you have had that ultimate encounter at the cross with the creator of Heaven and Earth who created LOVE, then it will never be the genuine article. The depth of love will never rise to the pinnacle of what it could be…the height of love so deep that it would provoke the God of the universe to sacrifice his son, so that we might live.
It is that encounter at the cross that shows us the intensity and devotion of God’s love and allows us to start to love others in the way that God loves us.
BEING THE FOUNTAIN
Now that we know God’s love and hold it within us, it’s time for it to be flowed through us to others.
Giving it away is the only way to perpetuate the cycle of God’s love. It’s like a self-contained fountain…always flowing forth beautiful streams of water, into a deep pool, and then through an intricate web of pipes flows from the pool back up to the top to be flowed forth again.
And I think too many times, we try to put God and ourselves in a box, thinking that to show God’s love we have to be super spiritual and two steps from a bible degree or else God’s not in it.
That’s junk!
Do you remember what Christ’s first miracle was here on earth? Turning water into wine at a wedding. It was a basic necessity of that time.
THEN…he went on to heal 4 times before he helped the disciples catch an abundance of fish…another necessity.
Yes, Christ did miraculous amazing healing and told parables that had everyone clamoring for more, but smattered in there were miracles that met people where they were and addressed the immediate need they had.
God’s love can pour through you in words, in deeds, financially or any other way he chooses fit. I heard a preacher state once that where you’re passion and talent lay are a pretty good indicator as to where your ministry is.
What talents or passion do you have that could be potential ministries or be used as a way to showcase God’s love to someone?
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
As we studied our LOVE scriptures this week, there was one that, for me, stuck out mainly because it correlates so closely to a scripture on love that is the cornerstone of our faith.
John 3:16 says that “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son so that all who may believe on him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.”
BUT….as we learned this week there is another scripture that picks up seemingly where this one stops.
1 John 3:16 continues, like a Part B or a sequel scripture: “We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.”
1 John 3:16 is a complete wrap up of this week. First, we learned REAL LOVE through Christ and then it is flowed through us and given away “for our brothers and sisters.”
PRAYER
As always, feel free to rewrite this in your own words or use it just the way it is.
Dear God: First and foremost, I thank you for your love for me as demonstrated by your willingness to lay your son’s life down for mine. Help me to be used as a fountain of your love, continually receiving love and allowing it to flow back out to others. Help me to be open to new ways of showing your love that I might not have seen before in my life and to resist the voice of Satan who would tell me that whatever I do, big or small, doesn’t make a difference because I know with God behind my actions, everything makes a difference. Amen
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Real Women Bible Study: Scriptures for Week 1
Here are the scriptures we are meditating on this week:
Tuesday:
"But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands." Deuteronomy 5:10
Wednesday:
"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever." 1 Chronicles 16:34
Thursday:
"But I am like an olive treee, thriving in the house of God. I will always trust I God's unfailing love." Psalm 52:8
Friday:
"For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights." Proverbs 3:12
Saturday:
"Love prospers whe a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends." Proverbs 17:9
Sunday:
"But to you whil are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you." Luke 6:27-28
Monday:
"We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters." 1 John 3:16
Tuesday:
"But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands." Deuteronomy 5:10
Wednesday:
"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His faithful love endures forever." 1 Chronicles 16:34
Thursday:
"But I am like an olive treee, thriving in the house of God. I will always trust I God's unfailing love." Psalm 52:8
Friday:
"For the Lord corrects those he loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom he delights." Proverbs 3:12
Saturday:
"Love prospers whe a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends." Proverbs 17:9
Sunday:
"But to you whil are willing to listen, I say, love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who hurt you." Luke 6:27-28
Monday:
"We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters." 1 John 3:16
Monday, February 7, 2011
Real Women Bible Study-Lesson 1
For Those of you who are unable to make it to Monday Night studies, you can still follow along right here!
Tonight's Lesson:
I WANNA BE CARMEN MIRANDA
Say the name Carmen Miranda and instantly we all envision a Latin lady in bright clothes wearing a hat laden with more fruit than the produce department at Wal*Mart. Her hat had it all and to this day, it is the thing she is known for, even though it has been over 50 years since her death.
My question to you is…What about us? What are we known for?
If you're like me, I want to be known as a woman of God. I want to be the Biblical scholar who has the right bible verse on the tip of her tongue for every situation. I want to ooze forth all of those virtues of the Proverbs 31 woman. I want to find those magic housecleaning fairies so that my house will always be immaculate and company-ready!
But, alas…we live in the real world where fairies don't really exist and we can't learn the Word of God through osmosis or just by sitting through a church service on Sundays.
So that is the purpose of this Bible Study. To spend some time each day meditating on the word of God.
RUNNING FOR THE GOLD OR HONORABLE MENTION?
To many it seems unimportant in the grand scheme of things to memorize scripture. As long as you're reading your bible and spending time in prayer, that's all that God asks, right? Well…yes and no.
Really, the only thing that God asks of us to enter into heaven is just the belief that his son Jesus died on the cross, was raised on the third day and needs to live in each of our hearts.
That's it and if you are happy with the honorable mention ribbon at the end of your race, then maybe this study isn't for you because in my Bible it tells me that I don't have to just finish the race, but I can run the race with perseverance (Hebrews 12:1) to "receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." (Philippians 3:14)
Perseverance means that we are running this race in a course of action with a purpose INSPITE OF difficulties, obstacle or discouragement. And we all know that this race of life is not easy, but Romans 15:4 (CEV) says that "the Scriptures were written to teach and encourage us by giving us hope."
Why memorize scripture? If for no other reason than to have hope. Hope that you have the chance and the opportunity to achieve the gold medal at the end of your race.
And this hope is not just for you! This hope is for those around you who might be lost and confused. Maybe the scriptures you memorize aren't all meant for you…maybe they are for someone in your life or someone who might come into your life in the future who needs the hope that there is more to their life than the honorable mention ribbon.
LET'S DO IT!
So, here we go…off on this journey of hope together. Let's all put on our Carmen Miranda hats and proclaim proudly to the world that we ARE different because we are the living embodiment of the most high God and not only do we speak it in our words, but we show it in our actions.
Galatians 5:22-23 is our starting place and the center point of our study. It says:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Over the next weeks, we will take each of these nine fruits and spend time each day meditating on one scripture pertaining to each. And by meditating, I don't mean spend hours thinking about it or pulling out grandma's big Biblical Concordance and pouring over correlating scriptures, but rather try to answer some of these questions each day:
How does this scripture apply to my life?
Do I feel like I embody this scripture or do I have a hard time with this particular fruit of the Spirit?
Did I know this scripture already or is it new to me?
Why is God asking me or telling me this?
I encourage each of you to keep a journal over our time together. You don't have to write in it every day, but as we go, you will find that maybe one or two scriptures a week lodge in a special place in your heart. God might be teaching you something new about your race to your gold medal and it would be a shame to forget it!
PRAYER
In the very beginning of our journey, I want us all to take a moment to pray for openness and softness to the guiding of the Holy Spirit.
Here is a prayer you can use on your own or you could even rewrite it in your journal in your own words.
Dear God…thank you that I am not on a race to honorable mention. Thank you that you have created me for more. You have created me for gold. In these weeks to come, help me to be diligent to meditate on your word and to live daily in the hope that it brings to my life and to the lives of those around me. Allow me, one by one, to add each of these fruits to my spiritual basket if I don't already possess them and strengthen those that already reside within my heart. In Jesus Name…Amen.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Monday Morning Minute-February 7, 2011
Dear Ladies:
I have to apologize...it has been a while since I have posted a Monday Morning Minute. I have to admit that between life and snow here in Northwest Arkansas, I have let it slip. Can you forgive me? :)
As I sit here, fingers poised over keyboard, I can't help, but wonder...what is it you need? As much as I enjoy writing these blogs and how much they help me, I wonder if you need encouragement, spiritual guidance or just love and acceptance? How can I help you more?
And as I ponder that, I have to laugh at myself a little. In my life, I have always been the "white flag waver" and "little miss fix-it." I see a problem or hear a situation and my brain automatically goes into "how can I make it better" mode. Whether it's my problem or not...I want to make it all better. I want to be the one to come up with the solution. I want to stop the war and end world hunger!!
And with that need to fix it all, I have instilled a sense of undue pressure on myself for most of my life. It is so bad at times, that in a recent family situation, I was nearly paralyzed for two days because the only way to "fix" the situation was to wait it out. Needless to say...that does not work with my engrained sense of how the universe works.
What about you? What part of your life do you feel like is pressuring you? Are you trying to "fix" life on your own?
I always try to find a scripture for you to meditate on and as I searched I came across so many scriptures on trusting God and thoughts of God being in control, but as I came across Psalm 73:28, I felt that the beginning of this verse was just the right words for someone.
It says: But as for me, it is good to be near God.
Simple, I know. But when the stresses of life...no matter where they come from...weigh down on you remember this: IT IS GOOD TO BE NEAR GOD.
Stressful times are not a time to try to do it on your own, but rather a time to draw nearer to God and allow Him to work through you and through your problems WITH you.
Being near God is the first step in the perfect solution, no matter the size of the situation.
I have to apologize...it has been a while since I have posted a Monday Morning Minute. I have to admit that between life and snow here in Northwest Arkansas, I have let it slip. Can you forgive me? :)
As I sit here, fingers poised over keyboard, I can't help, but wonder...what is it you need? As much as I enjoy writing these blogs and how much they help me, I wonder if you need encouragement, spiritual guidance or just love and acceptance? How can I help you more?
And as I ponder that, I have to laugh at myself a little. In my life, I have always been the "white flag waver" and "little miss fix-it." I see a problem or hear a situation and my brain automatically goes into "how can I make it better" mode. Whether it's my problem or not...I want to make it all better. I want to be the one to come up with the solution. I want to stop the war and end world hunger!!
And with that need to fix it all, I have instilled a sense of undue pressure on myself for most of my life. It is so bad at times, that in a recent family situation, I was nearly paralyzed for two days because the only way to "fix" the situation was to wait it out. Needless to say...that does not work with my engrained sense of how the universe works.
What about you? What part of your life do you feel like is pressuring you? Are you trying to "fix" life on your own?
I always try to find a scripture for you to meditate on and as I searched I came across so many scriptures on trusting God and thoughts of God being in control, but as I came across Psalm 73:28, I felt that the beginning of this verse was just the right words for someone.
It says: But as for me, it is good to be near God.
Simple, I know. But when the stresses of life...no matter where they come from...weigh down on you remember this: IT IS GOOD TO BE NEAR GOD.
Stressful times are not a time to try to do it on your own, but rather a time to draw nearer to God and allow Him to work through you and through your problems WITH you.
Being near God is the first step in the perfect solution, no matter the size of the situation.
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Monday Morning Minute-January 10, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Monday Morning Minute-January 3, 2011
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